The Minskin is a breed of cat derived from crossing the Munchkin with the Sphynx. Since it is a cross with the same breeds, it is sometimes confused with a Bambino cat. It sits low to the ground due to its short legs, and has a small to medium-sized body, with large ears, a tapering nose, a very sparse coat, and wide, round eyes. It has velvety-soft fur that can be seen at points or extremities, such as the face, ears, tail, and legs.
History
In 1998, PaulRichard McSorley began the development of the Minskin cat breed in Boston, Massachusetts. Just as the Siamese has color restricted to the points/extremities, Paul McSorley envisioned a cat with short legs and denser fur restricted to the points on the mask, ears, legs and tail, with a noticeably more sparsely coated torso, neck and belly. To accomplish his goal, he crossed his already established Munchkin cats with short legs with a full coat of fur. He then introduced and combined 'fuzzy' Sphynx for the hairless characteristic but with denser fur restricted to the extremities, making for a healthier immune system. When combined, the two healthy mutation genes do not recognize each other and therefore do not cause any detrimental impact. For the appeal of structure, temperament, type and other desired qualities, he also used his International Award Winning Burmese cats and Devon Rex in the development of his Minskin breeding program. The first standard cat that met his goal was "TRT I Am Minskin Hear Me Roar" 'Rory' was born in July 2000. By early 2005 about 50 cats meeting the Minskin vision existed and were registered by The International Cat Association. In 2008, the Minskin became recognized as a Preliminary New Breed and is currently in TICA's program that monitors the development of new breeds and their progress toward achieving the title of Advanced New Breed. Ultimately, when all requirements are met and with the approval of the BOD, the Minskin breed will advance in TICA with full recognition in the Championship class.
